


Finding What's Important

by MegaFrost4



Series: Hide & Seek [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Epilogue, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28106331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaFrost4/pseuds/MegaFrost4
Summary: Hide & Seek Epilogue (Some Major Spoilers, or it can be read as an independent one-shot)
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Thor
Series: Hide & Seek [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059074
Kudos: 5





	Finding What's Important

Carol turned the volume up as she sang and danced, all the while cleaning up the cabin on the lake.

Tony had offered it up to Thor and Carol for a vacation in celebration of their engagement. Thor was ecstatic and Carol could not believe the genius, billionaire, and philanthropist would go all out for them already, when the wedding was so far away, it seemed.

They had time, right?

" _That's me in the corner_..." She sang, using the mop as her standing microphone. " _That's me in the spot...light...losing my religion..._ "

This was the happiest she could ever remember being in this life after the Kree. She not only found a family with the Avengers, but she found Thor, and she found herself becoming a whole new person. Maybe, the person she was before all of this had happened.

Still, she had slumps in her mood, missing her powers and feeling useless as a human. After saving the world, going off to help other worlds, and then coming back to...

The nightmares kept her up all hours. It was as if the Infinity Stones still had a hold on her. She would twitch and feel her burnt arm flare up every now and then. She wished she could forget that whole experience, because that moment terrified her, not knowing what would happen next.

And then she woke up.

And her prince came rushing in to save her.

Carol was jolted out of her thoughts, the music now switched to "November Rain" and she immediately pinched her nose.

"THOR! Babe, what is _this_?"

Thor beamed like a kid proud of his first kill, and motioned with his hands. "It is an elk...isn't he beautiful? He put up a _glorious_ fight. May he be remembered for his bravery as we feast on him tonight."

"I've...never had elk before..." Carol cringed as blood was dripping onto the newly-cleaned floor.

"Oh, you'll love it! Clint and I go hunting all the time, but-"

"It's not elk season, is it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It's _fine_. I'm an Avenger. Earth is under my protection...and _yours_...and the rest of the _team_...surely one won't make a fuss."

"Maybe I really have been on Earth longer than you." She smirked at him and threw him a towel. "Just, try to clean up a little when you're done, ok? I just brewed some coffee, if you want some."

Thor ignored the carcass and went straight for the cupboard. "Oh, you know me so well..."

A knock on the door brought Carol's nerves up a bit, since this was supposed to a secluded getaway. Tony assured her that no one knew where it was. She figured it was just a hiker who got lost or-

She could not believe her eyes. Was it really...

"Auntie Carol!" Monica Rambeau burst into tears as she hugged Carol tight.

Carol hesitated a moment, then it all came rushing back. " _Lieutenant Trouble?_ " She teared up as well. "Oh my goodness, you're...you're..."

"Yeah, I'm _old_..." Monica laughed.

"You look just like your mom..." Carol could not believe it. "Except _way_ better hair!"

"I know..." Monica bounced her effortless natural curls. "I tell her that all the time."

"Yeah, but you're more like your auntie with that _attitude_ of yours." A voice came from behind the jeep and up the stairs onto the porch.

Carol lost her voice. She cleared her throat. "Hey, hot stuff." She smiled.

"Yeah, you're one to talk." Maria Rambeau shook her head. "You still haven't aged a _day_...meanwhile I'm over here discovering my first sign of crow's feet, and- _Oh_ , hey girl...hey..." She hugged her friend, who was crying hard, mumbling apologies and promises to not leave like that again...

"So much has happened since I saw you..." Carol tried to explain. "I..."

"What? You can shoot lasers out of your eyes now?" Monica jeered.

She cast her eyes down in shame. "I lost my powers after...well..."

"Oh, honey, I know all of _that_. I saw you on Oprah, Larry King, and even The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. You've been the talk of the world this past year." Maria huffed. "I'm just pissed you A: didn't tell me you had finally recovered and were ok...and B: I'm really pissed because you haven't asked me to be your _Maid of Honor_!"

Carol deadpanned. "You...you didn't get my letter?"

Maria shook her head, and Monica changed the subject before her mom went all _mom_ on Carol.

"Um...why is Thor making a bonfire?"

"He likes to do things the old fashioned way. I told him the smokers are state-of-the-art but then he told me how science and numbers are no fun, so I just let him have his way... _what?_ "

Maria gave her a look. "Y'all are so domestic, I'm gonna be sick. When's the date?"

"June 10th."

"Good. That'll give me plenty of time to get my face and hair all fixed up, cause I'm _old_ Carol!"

"Shut up. You look just as good as you did...um..."

"It's been 30 years, but who's counting. I'm old, and I don't like it."

"She's like a _cougar_ now." Monica whispered to Carol. "Oh, Auntie, you did _good_. He's even more beautiful in person."

"Ladies." Thor walks up to greet everyone. "Welcome to um, well it's not our humble abode, but that is what you say to guests, uhhh..."

"I'm Monica." She thew her hand out confidently, but melted when Thor took her hand and kissed it.

"And I'm Maria, her mother."

"Lady Maria. Carol has told me all about you and your adventures together."

" _You remember?_ "

"I think I've finally got it all figured out." Carol said confidently. "And, honestly, I'm glad you came, cause this guy just brought in an elk...don't ask...and we have so many leftovers, it will all go bad without someone to share with."

"Great, we're starving!" Monica said.

Maria gave her a look too, but Carol insisted.

"Come on...I've missed you both terribly, and I want to spend time with my _family_." Carol pouted.

"Lord, you _are_ back, all that mischief in those eyes..." She pulled Thor away from the group, but did not make an effort to make the conversation private. "You even think about hurting _my girl_...I'll make you wish you were dead."

"Yes ma'am." Thor gulped. Carol and Monica were rolling, and they all went to help prepare the elk for the bonfire, since well, with Thor, it was always go big, or go home.

* * *

Late that night, Monica and Maria retired in the guest bedrooms, while Carol wanted to sleep under the stars again.

Thor loved doing it too.

As the flames popped and sizzled, and fireflies danced around the backdrop of the forest, Carol sat up from Thor's chest and stared into his eyes. Her hand gently stroked the side of his face with the scar from when he fought his sister.

"I love you..." She kissed him softly, and he moaned in pleasure.

"And I love you...always..." He frowned when she turned away to look into the darkness. "Look at me, what have I told you every day?"

"I know, I know...it's just..." She fought back tears.

Thor sat up and took her hands in his.

"I am so happy with you...I cannot wait to get married, but...I...I still see it...and _feel_ it..." She subconsciously rubbed her arm, the scars dominant in view, but no longer required constant medical attention. "I just wish I could forget it all..."

"I understand..." Thor felt helpless. He tried everything in his power to make her happy, that was all he wanted to do. But this was the one thing he could not fix, and it drove him mad. He spoke with Tony, Bruce, and Stephen about it, but time would only tell if the mental scarring would go away or not.

He pulled her up under his chin and stroked her back. Eventually she fell asleep, being as close to him as physically possible.

* * *

The next morning, a car driving up the rocky road woke them both up.

"I am _offended_." Fury shut the car door and pulled his pager out. "You didn't answer me back..."

Carol jumped up and ran, tackling him with a hug. "But I did, I mean, you're _back_ , all in one piece. Nice eyepatch."

" _Shut up_. And I'm not talking about in my dying breath, when I paged you."

"I'm honored?"

"After saving the universe, you'd think I'd wanna know you're ok?"

"Maria and Lieutenant Trouble already beat you to it."

" _I don't care_. I thought we were a team. It's not my fault you had so many rules, _for emergencies only_. I think you almost _dying_ for a second time now would count as an emergency."

"I'm sorry, Fury." Carol hugged him again. "I missed you..."

"I missed you too." Fury cut his eye to Thor, and groaned. "Well, if it isn't the bride to be. I'm sure you've already been threatened once, so I'll leave it to your imagination, if you know what I'm saying..." Fury pulled Carol into a side hug, who was giggling as Thor looked nervous.

"Understood, sir." Thor said in an Avenger-like business.

"You've always got my back, huh?"

"You know I do." Fury "winked" at her.

She continued to laugh as Fury and Thor caught up on each other's adventures or lack thereof, and thought to herself:

_Yeah, I'm going to be ok..._


End file.
